It has not been a good week for big public health. In a massive backdown, the Australian Heart Foundation has pulled a series of advertisements which suggests that people who don’t get a “heart check” don’t love their families. I did not see the TV version but heard...
Recently I had the great privilege of being part of the Australian launch of the Global State of Tobacco Harm Reduction (GSTHR). In the 50 years to 2013, smoking rates in Australia fell sharply. In the 1980’s we led the world. However, a sense of “we know best” has...
Those following me on social media may have noticed the hashtag that I have started- #bigpublichealth. Some have asked what does this mean and why have I done it. Good questions. Below is my explanation. We are forever hearing about big tobacco, big food, big pharma,...
The vaping debate has reached an interesting point. We seem to have moved on from arguing the merits of vaping as being 95% less harmful than smoking. Most of the more recent debates has focussed on funding of charities dedicated to reducing the death and disease toll...
Recently I made my first sojourn to Europe. This surprised many people given that clearly my family hails from there (on both sides). Aside the history and scenery, it is interesting to see different countries approaches to universal issues. Europe has the reputation...
Many people are frustrated by the slow progress of the cause to legalise vaping and help smokers reduce harm in Australia. Whilst there is still a way to go, we have made a significant step forward. The WA Liberal party recently passed at its state conference, a...
